I'm idly doodling a 5e sorlock for a very specific thematic mix of subclasses over here, and while I was doing that I was amused to realise that sorlocks can give you a very fun mix of metamagic, invocations and feats that’ll get you a 1200ft range spell.
Specifically, as one might guess, a 1200ft range eldritch blast.
You start out warlock, and you take the Eldritch Spear invocation, which says thus: “When you cast eldritch blast, its range is 300ft.”
So now you have a cantrip with a 300ft base range.
Then you take the Spell Sniper feat, which says thus: “When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled.”
So our 300ft eldritch blast is now a 600ft eldritch blast.
And then, with your sorcerer levels (or the metamagic adept feat, if you don’t want to multiclass), you take the Distant Spell metamagic, which says thus: “When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell.”
So you can spend 1 sorcery point per casting to turn your already 600ft eldritch blast into a 1200ft eldritch blast.
Now. Are there likely to be all that many situations where it’s useful to be able to shoot someone the bones of a quarter mile away? With a cantrip? Probably not. For a start, they might be getting slightly difficult to see at that range. This is more of a ‘cool once-off trick’ than a generally useful thing to sink multiple levels and at least one feat into.
But hey. That one time an enemy spellcaster is trying to escape using the fly spell, it’d be really damned funny to force a concentration check from 1200ft back, just to see if they get to stay in the air. Heh.
And the advantage of it being eldritch blast specifically is that eldritch blast generates multiple beams as it levels, instead of just doing more damage per beam, and each beam gets its own attack roll. So, like, even if we’re at disadvantage just for sheer range, once we get up to three or four beams, surely one of ‘em’s gotta hit?
And if you’re a sorlock with Quickened Spell as your other metamagic, you can also quicken a levelled spell to do something else actually useful on the same turn. In case anyone objects to you wasting turns trying to take potshots at the speck on the horizon.
IDK, the possibility just tickled me, I guess.
Actually, can I talk for another second about Distant Spell? Because it’s one of my favourite metamagics.
For a start, I prefer it to Spell Sniper, although they can definitely be fun to stack together, as in this instance. Spell Sniper does have an advantage in that it’s always on, your attack roll spells just all flat have their range doubled from now on, whereas Distant Spell requires you to spend a sorcery point every time, so you have to pick and choose when to apply it. But while it’s more situational and resource intensive, it’s also more versatile.
Because Spell Sniper only applies to attack roll spells. Distant Spell can be applied to any ranged spell.
Including, I should say, touch range spells. The second line of the metamagic reads: “When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.”
Which, if you’re playing a Divine Soul/Clockwork Soul? Or if you’re a cleric with the Metamagic Adept feat? A lot of support spells just became a lot more versatile. You got a 30ft Guidance, 30ft Cure Wounds, 30ft Lesser/Greater Restoration, 30ft Revivify … Protection from Evil and Good, Protection from Poison, Enhance Ability, Freedom of Movement … You don’t have to get right up next to somebody to help them anymore. If you’re playing a Divine Soul? Definitely a metamagic I’d look at. And if you’re a cleric with a spare feat, also worth a look. The two sorcery points you get from the feat will only give you two spells a day you can put it on, but you never know when it would be really, really handy to be able to end conditions or full on bring someone back up from just that little bit further away.
But my favourite spells to use Distant Spell on are teleportation spells. Because baby, your girl just got a lot more mobile. Misty Step now gets you 60ft, Thunder Step gets you 180ft, Dimension Door gets you 1000ft. (It doesn’t work on Far Step, unfortunately, because Far Step has a range of self). Gaping chasms and long drops are suddenly a lot more manageable.
And. Going back to fleeing enemies. Vortex Warp is now also 180ft. You ain’t going nowhere, baby. Anyone within 180ft of me is going right where I want them (well, pending Con saves, anyway). Someone’s flying 180ft up? Now they’re on the ground. Someone just double dashed away from your teammate? Nope, now they’re right back where they started.
Now, granted, the 90ft Vortex Warp was already at was pretty generous from a standing start. Doubled range just makes it that little bit meaner. And sweeter.
I just. I really like Distant Spell. Being able to mix up the range of your spells just makes things feel a lot freer and more versatile. From being able to snipe people from silly distances away, to being able to teleport 1000ft up onto the dragon’s back, to being able to take charmed or paralysis off someone without having to tank opportunity attacks to get to them. It’s just good.
My top three metamagic options would definitely be Distant Spell, Subtle Spell, and Transmuted Spell. Distant Spell for the above reasons, Subtle Spell for sneakiness, and Transmuted Spell for Tempest Cleric/Storm Sorcerer goodness, and also letting me dump a shit tonne more acid damage on people than literally anything else in the game can manage. (Transmuted Spell plus Fireball equals a good time in just about any situation).
And for bonus points, all of them only cost 1 sorcery point a pop, so they’re all good options for Metamagic Adept.
